Boxing: State of art gym opens doors

RotoVegas Boxing Gym and Fitness owner Aaron Warren (front) pictured during the opening of his new gym. Photo / Ben Fraser

When Aaron Warren started the RotoVegas Boxing Gym in 2006 he had a punching bag, a skipping rope and a pair of boxing gloves.

The gym has come a long way since those days.

On Saturday him and his wife, Tanya, officially opened their new premises on Te Ngae Rd, after running the gym out of their home for the best part of a decade.

The new state-of-the-art facility includes two Olympic-size boxing rings, 1200sq m of floor space, 20 punching bags, six cardio machines, and all the usual weights and equipment for strength and conditioning.

Warren said they had been looking to move their gym for a while and it took about six months to rebuild the new venue at 212 Te Ngae Rd.

"We wanted to give more people an opportunity to train and we wanted a more central location which is accessible to more people," he said.

Warren said they wanted to help more people in the community with the new facility.

"I never thought boxing was that popular [when we started] but in today's world it is becoming one of the fastest ways of getting fit across all sports," he said. Warren said his wife Tanya had done a great job in getting the new gym opened.

"My wife has been awesome. The thing about her is she is a perfectionist, that is 99 per cent why the gym is looking so good."

RotoVegas Boxing Gym and Fitness will function as both a boxing gym and a regular gym, with cross-fit classes on offer as well.

Local cross-fit trainer Slade King said he loved the new facility and was moving his entire business to the gym.

"This is a trainer's paradise really," he said. "There is no other gym like it.

"Ever since the corporate fight night last year in Rotorua, [my partner] Lauren and I have just clicked with the Warren family and really love what they do for the community and they loved what we do and we have pretty much joined forces."

The gym runs a popular programme in local schools called A Champion Made which is built around dedication, discipline and determination, and sponsored by First Sovereign Trust.

They will also be able to train up to 40 children at a time at the new gym during free after-school programmes.

The RotoVegas Boxing Gym and Fitness is now officially open, but they will be holding a grand opening on June 6.